CIFOR–ICRAF publishes over 750 publications every year on agroforestry, forests and climate change, landscape restoration, rights, forest policy and much more – in multiple languages.

CIFOR–ICRAF addresses local challenges and opportunities while providing solutions to global problems for forests, landscapes, people and the planet.

We deliver actionable evidence and solutions to transform how land is used and how food is produced: conserving and restoring ecosystems, responding to the global climate, malnutrition, biodiversity and desertification crises. In short, improving people’s lives.

Livelihood in Ru Cha mangrove forest. Photo by Lê Văn Minh

Publications

Forgotten food crops in sub-Saharan Africa for healthy diets in a changing climate

From Reach to Transformation: Leveraging the RBET Framework to Secure Women’s Land and Resource Rights

Guidelines for assessing and developing the tree seed and seedling sector

The success of a national agroforestry policy in India has become a model for other countries

The enduring world forest carbon sink

The Global Biodiversity Standard: Manual for assessment and best practices

Refining greenhouse gas emission factors for Indonesian peatlands and mangroves to meet ambitious climate targets

Wildlife and people in the Rupununi: A comprehensive assessment based on science and local knowledge

CIFOR-ICRAF in Kenya: An evolving collaboration

News

Explainer: How trees help protect us from flooding

Call to conservation community: Stop using 80% figure to quantify biodiversity in Indigenous People’s territories

Stepping up for a haze-free Southeast Asia

How Latin America can lead on climate, biodiversity & the circular economy

Renewable energy from charcoal: A response to the challenge

Mining in the Congo rainforest causes more deforestation than previously assumed

Tigers, crocodiles, rising tides: Fieldwork in the largest mangrove forest on Earth

As cocoa prices soar, why are the benefits so unbalanced?

Five key takeaways from UNCBD COP16 in Cali, Colombia

Features

  • Impact report 2023: Altering course

    Packed with video highlights from our scientists and leadership, this report explores how trees, forests and agroforestry can help alter the course of three global crises – biodiversity, climate change and food security – and find equitable solutions to major challenges.

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  • Trees: Green heroes of the triple crisis

    Potential solutions to the interconnected challenges being addressed by the three UN Conventions launched at the first Earth Summit in Rio in 1992 have one thing in common: the role of trees and forests in mitigating climate change, supporting biodiversity, and preventing and reversing desertification.

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  • Capturing carbon markets

    Countries agreed at the UNFCCC COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan on rules for a global market to buy and sell carbon credits, potentially mobilizing billions of dollars. Our experts weighed in on how to get carbon markets right by harnessing the world’s best green technology – trees.

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  • Blue carbon: Why we’re counting on coastal ecosystems

    Protecting and restoring ‘blue carbon’ spaces – such as mangroves, salt marshes, and seagrass meadows – is increasingly recognized as critical to climate mitigation and adaptation, as well as to food security and livelihoods. CIFOR-ICRAF’s decades of ground-breaking research in this arena holds fresh relevance.

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  • Restoring Africa’s landscapes: All eyes on African regreening initiatives

    At the start of 2024, the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration team recognized Regreening Africa as a World Restoration Flagship – one of what it calls “the world’s most successful examples of healing the planet.” This feature share key learnings from this and other African restoration projects.

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  • It starts with seeds: Seeding diverse, productive ecosystems and economies

    CIFOR-ICRAF is developing genetic resources to safeguard tree diversity, domesticate tree species, and provide tree growers with the best-suited planting material for their particular needs – so that the right tree can be planted in the right place, for the right purpose.

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Impact report 2023: Altering course

Trees: Green heroes of the triple crisis

Capturing carbon markets

Blue carbon: Why we’re counting on coastal ecosystems

Restoring Africa’s landscapes: All eyes on African regreening initiatives

It starts with seeds: Seeding diverse, productive ecosystems and economies

Analysis

The true failure of global environmental protection: When national interests trump collective action

Learning outside the classroom: Closer perspectives on gender and development research

A forest is so much more than just its trees

Investing in soils can put countries on a path to land degradation neutrality

From promise to reality: The uneven impacts of REDD+

Community forest stewards: Managers, not labourers

Innovation in forestry: Where it’s happening, why it matters

A year of hope and hardship for the world’s forests

Sustainable development goals hinge on tapping women’s full potential

In the media

More women are thriving in science – does that mean attitudes have changed?

Smallholders offer mixed reactions to calls for delay in EU deforestation law

How scientists debunked one of conservation’s most influential statistics

Study: REDD+ doesn’t work without Indigenous Peoples, but fails to engage them

Almost 20 years after the tsunami, Andaman’s mangroves are still changing

The future of forest carbon credits and voluntary markets

Videos

Regreening Africa a flagship for the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration

How it works: CIFOR-ICRAF’s tree seed lab

Trees: Nature’s champions of resilience and regeneration

Spatial data for effective tree planting and land restoration

Science and forestry policy: Bridging the gap

Éliane Ubalijoro – Key highlights from CIFOR-ICRAF at #COP16Riyadh

Daniel Murdiyarso on harnessing coastal wetland ecosystem services beyond carbon

Highlights from UNCBD COP16: The role, challenges, and solutions surrounding trade and biodiversity

Agroforestry in Timor Leste

Events

  • Holding back the desert: CIFOR-ICRAF at UNCCD COP16

    The Convention to Combat Desertification is the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management. As a global centre of excellence for soil and land restoration, integrated soil information, and soil organic carbon accounting, CIFOR-ICRAF brought science-based solutions to the discussions.

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  • Trees, forests & climate: CIFOR-ICRAF at COP29

    Our diverse international team of researchers and practitioners presented cutting-edge research on how forests and trees might help us to mitigate and adapt – and how we can best catalyze, support, and sustain action to protect and restore them – to inform climate action at the COP.

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  • Backing biodiversity: Financing forests & trees – CIFOR-ICRAF at UNCBD COP16

    Adopted in December 2022, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework was the focus at UNCBD COP16 in Cali, Colombia. We shared the ways in which holistic approaches like agroforestry and sustainable wildlife management can help meet climate, biodiversity, economic, and social goals simultaneously.

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  • Forests & people: CIFOR-ICRAF at IUFRO 2024

    The International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) gathered its global network in Stockholm under the theme ‘Forests & Society towards 2050’. CIFOR-ICRAF is drawing on emerging innovations from a wide range of sectors to help revolutionize forest conservation, making it more targeted, efficient, and effective.

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  • Hamburg Sustainability Conference

    CIFOR-ICRAF CEO Dr Éliane Ubalijoro was appointed to the advisory board for this new initiative, which aims to establish a trustful and collaborative exchange among world leaders from the Global South and the Global North to build global solutions for social-ecological transformation.

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  • What is the state of Central African Forests?

    More than 700 experts, practitioners and policymakers working in forest information management in Central Africa gathered in Bonn, Germany, and online for this hybrid conference focused on protecting these globally valuable ecosystems.

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  • Sixth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6)

    This year featured the launch of the Right Tree in the Right Place – Seed initiative, a re-launch the UN’s Young Champions of the Earth program, and the awarding of seven new World Restoration Flagships – including Regreening Africa – at the Gala of Hope.

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  • GLF Africa 2024 Hybrid Conference: Greening the African Horizon

    On 17 September, 3,500 participants gathered at the GLF Africa Hybrid Conference in Nairobi, Kenya. With less than a decade left to achieve the critical global goals set for 2030, Africa stands at a pivotal moment in shaping a greener, more resilient future.

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  • GLF Peatlands 2024 Hybrid Conference: The climate solution we forgot

    On 6 June 2024, 1,300 participants from 118 countries, 41 speakers and more than 30 global and local partner organizations united to explore the state of peatland knowledge, policy perspectives, communities and livelihoods, and innovative finance.

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Holding back the desert: CIFOR-ICRAF at UNCCD COP16

Trees, forests & climate: CIFOR-ICRAF at COP29

Backing biodiversity: Financing forests & trees – CIFOR-ICRAF at UNCBD COP16

Forests & people: CIFOR-ICRAF at IUFRO 2024

Hamburg Sustainability Conference

What is the state of Central African Forests?

Sixth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6)

GLF Africa 2024 Hybrid Conference: Greening the African Horizon

GLF Peatlands 2024 Hybrid Conference: The climate solution we forgot

In Depth

New Centre of Excellence promotes environmental conservation and climate-smart action in Eastern and Southern Africa

Based in Nairobi, the Regional Centre of Excellence for Biodiversity, Forests, and Seascape Ecosystems Management in Eastern and Southern Africa eeks to offer critical information on the status of the region’s forests, grasslands and aquatic ecosystems, as well as its rich biodiversity.

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South Sumatran villagers opt for the riches of mangrove restoration

The Sungsang Mangrove Restoration and Ecotourism (SMART) project is a Participatory Action Research based venture implemented by CIFOR-ICRAF in partnership with the Temasek Foundation, alongside Sriwijaya University and the South Sumatra Watershed Forum that aims to help build viable local businesses while protecting and restoring forests.

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Guyanese conservation hero Leroy Ignacio wins ‘Green Oscar’

A local wildlife expert and Indigenous Makushi man accompanied scientists on a research trip to confirm songbird species’ presence within the biome, benefitting the region’s communities and ecosystems. In May he received the prestigious international Whitley Award – in the shape of a ‘Green Oscar’.

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A journey across the world’s largest rainforests

As part of our coverage of the 26th IUFRO World Congress, this In Depth story takes you on a journey across the world’s three largest rainforests to explore what they mean for people and the planet; their state; and how they can be sustainably managed for present and future generations.

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Proof of concept: The landscape approach yields results in DRC

What started 17 years ago as a capacity-strengthening project has evolved into an intricate web of activities co-designed with local communities to develop sustainable forest- and tree-based bioeconomies. The Yangambi Engagement Landscape is demonstrating what it takes to achieve landscape-level impact.

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Rattan rising

Indonesia is the world’s largest rattan producer, accounting for 70 percent of total recorded production and home to more than 300 species, although only a handful have commercial value. How should the country manage its burgeoning domestic rattan trade for livelihoods and forests?

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Social media

Indigenous Peoples’ Day

On Indigenous Peoples’ Day, a timely reminder of Indigenous communities’ vital roles as stewards of forest ecosystems, partners in conservation and sustainable development, and rights-holders whose territories must be protected.
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CRISPR Class II graduation

Scientists from eight African countries completed a first-of-its-kind course on CRISPR technology – a tool that allows targeted changes to DNA sequences in living organisms, including crops – as part of the UC Davis African Plant Breeding Academy under the African Orphan Crops Consortium.
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The Blue Carbon Deck

The Blue Carbon Deck – the go-to source on blue carbon for researchers, civil society and practitioners working in coastal communities – was launched to help ensure programmes and projects across the globe are guided by the latest science and grounded in local realities.
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16 sustainable forestry terms you should know

In the lead-up to IUFRO, an opportunity for conference-goers to school up on forest-speak with 16 key terms in sustainable forestry.
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Forest Policy and Economics: A companion journal to Forest Ecology and Management

A new paper in Forest Policy and Economics compares how different international forest-related governance arrangements perform – for what purpose, and for whom.
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Benefits of Agroecology

This eye-catching infographic – presented in four languages – summarizes some of the key benefits of agroecology, for diets, soil, climate resilience, biodiversity, ecosystem services and livelihoods.
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Carbon markets

A data-rich feature shares knowledge from CIFOR-ICRAF’s decade-plus of work on global carbon markets, laying out both the promises and pitfalls of this key corner of the climate conversation.
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Regreening Africa

Landscape restoration is urgent, and local communities across the African continent – in collaboration with international initiatives like Regreening Africa – are leading the way. This feature shares and celebrates their work, drawing out key learnings for the necessary scaling of restoration work to come.
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Celebrating World Soil Day

Highlighting the importance of soil health on World Soil Day “Healthy soil is more than just dirt. It is teeming with life and is essential for a healthy planet and healthy people.”
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Initiatives

  • 2024 CIFOR-ICRAF photo competition: Biodiversity, Climate, Restoration

    With thousands of entries and almost 10,000 votes cast globally, this competition showcased the beauty and importance of biodiversity, the critical role of forests and trees in combating climate change, and the inspiring efforts toward restoration across the globe.

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  • Right Tree in the Right Place – Seed (RTRP-Seed) initiative

    Building on decades of research and practical experience in tree-planting for landscape restoration, and on extensive partner networks, RTRP-Seed aims to scale up landscape restoration in sub-Saharan Africa by ensuring a sustainable supply of high-quality seeds and seedlings of a diverse range of native tree species.

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  • Transformative Partnership Platform for Tree Seed and Seedling Delivery Systems (Seed TPP)

    The Seed TPP aims to empower Africa-wide stakeholders to develop sustainable, integrated and high-quality tree seed and seedling sectors for effective landscape restoration and broader tree planting, by supporting the co-development and dissemination of evidence-based policies and practices, and of tailored decision-support tools.

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  • Transformative Partnership Platform on Sustainable Use of Wild Species (SU-TPP)

    The SU-TPP is a diverse global coalition of policymakers, universities, practitioners, Indigenous Peoples and local communities that – through applied research, capacity development and on-the-ground initiatives – generates evidence and tools that support the sustainable, equitable and safe use of wild species.

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  • Transformative Partnership Platform on Agroecology

    The Transformative Partnership Platform (TPP) on agroecology convenes a broad partnership to address knowledge and implementation gaps constraining agroecological transitions, providing evidence to underpin advocacy and inform policymakers about how to successfully implement agroecological approaches.

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  • FACT Dialogue

    The Forest, Agriculture and Commodity Trade (FACT) Dialogue continued its work to accelerate the transition towards more sustainable land-use practices. This year, representatives from 20 countries gathered for a forum in Ubud, Indonesia and the Dialogue launched its latest progress report at UNFCCC COP29.

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  • Nature-based solutions for the Amazon

    The Regenerative Agriculture for Conservation of the Amazon (ARCA) program was launched in Brazil to develop innovations led by traditional peoples and communities and family farmers, encouraging the adoption of biodiverse Agroforestry Systems, ecological restoration and sustainable management of socio-biodiversity products. It is coordinated by CIFOR-ICRAF in Brazil with support from USAID and is implemented by a group of strategic partners.

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  • Managalas Component of the EU Forestry-Climate Change-Biodiversity Programme

    Papua New Guinea is one of the world’s 17 ‘megadiverse’ countries. The four-year EU-funded Managalas Component of the EU Forestry-Climate Change-Biodiversity (EU-FCCB) Nexus Programme is working to both improve conservation outcomes and developing livelihood options for local communities living within and managing the Managalas Conservation Area MCA in Oro Province, PNG.

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  • ReSI-NoC

    Strengthening Innovation Systems in the North of Cameroon (ReSI-NoC) is a 4 year project that aims to strengthen the agro-sylvo-pastoral innovation systems in the project area – specifically through inclusive planning, negotiation, co-creation and implementation of technical, organisational and social innovations.

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2024 CIFOR-ICRAF photo competition: Biodiversity, Climate, Restoration

Right Tree in the Right Place – Seed (RTRP-Seed) initiative

Transformative Partnership Platform for Tree Seed and Seedling Delivery Systems (Seed TPP)

Transformative Partnership Platform on Sustainable Use of Wild Species (SU-TPP)

Transformative Partnership Platform on Agroecology

FACT Dialogue

Nature-based solutions for the Amazon

Managalas Component of the EU Forestry-Climate Change-Biodiversity Programme

ReSI-NoC